Ditton Lodge Nursery

Inspection of Ditton Lodge Nursery Ditton Lodge Community Primary School, St Johns Avenue, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8BL

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported exceptionally well by staff. They develop friendships swiftly and work extremely well together. Children happily rise to the high expectations staff have for them, particularly regarding showing care and respect towards one another. For example, using large sand timers, they take responsibility for taking turns fairly. Children show great consideration to others, inviting them to join in their games, such as racing flat scooters down the playground incline. They learn to manage risk well, ensuring, for instance, that others are not in the path of the scooters.

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The provision is outstanding

Children benefit greatly from staff's highly positive, nurturing and encouraging involvement in their play. This results in children displaying exemplary behaviour. Children's thinking and problem-solving skills are developing exceptionally well. Staff plan activities around children's interests and encourage them to explore and experiment. Children fill containers using different sized funnels. They think critically when a container has a narrow neck, working out that a smaller funnel will do the job better. As they play, children use mathematical language to describe what they are doing. Staff provide a rich breadth of vocabulary for children, whose language develops rapidly. Children show excellent conversational skills as they speak and listen politely.

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need to do better?

n The inspirational management team is extremely supportive and provides very effective leadership for staff. As a result, staff feel valued and work diligently to ensure that the nursery provides an outstanding environment where children flourish. n Children enjoy a broad curriculum that ensures they embed skills across all areas of learning. They thoroughly enjoy planting and growing vegetables, such as carrots and beetroot. Children enjoy taking part in forest school activities, where they can climb trees and use natural resources to extend their imaginary games. n Staff know how to support children to be confident to explore new experiences. For example, children discuss and extend their understanding about how best to help a honeybee they discover struggling on the ground. n Children have a highly positive attitude to their learning. They concentrate exceptionally well during their chosen activities. Staff provide children with a

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need to do better?

high-quality range of resources and well-planned extended activities. They are enthusiastic and motivate children to keep trying and persevere when they come across challenges. Children dig in the sandpit and use a range of equipment to transport sand around. n Staff are highly successful in helping children to learn about their feelings and

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need to do better?

30 June 2022 well-being. Children take part in small-group activity. They talk about caring for themselves and each other. This helps to foster very positive relationships between children and staff. n Staff know the children very well. They successfully adapt activities and tailor individual support to meet the needs of each child. The curriculum is securely rooted, and staff skilfully interact with children to help them build on their learning and further challenge their development. Staff encourage children to recall previous experiences, which helps them to remember and consolidate their learning. n Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They comment on the excellent progress their children make and their confidence and independence. Parents of children who speak English as an additional language, and those whose children have SEND, value how staff give them detailed information about how they support and meet their child's specific needs.

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need to do better?

n Staff's ongoing professional development is consistently nurtured. Staff take part in regular training sessions and team meetings. They have individual supervision meetings where they reflect on their work and identify targets for continuous improvement. This contributes to their exceptional understanding of the nursery curriculum. n The commitment to staff development has a highly positive impact on children's learning. Staff widen children's experiences and recognise that all children have different ways they prefer to learn. They ensure that daily learning takes place inside and outside. This helps to provide optimum learning environments for all children, including those who prefer being outside.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff demonstrate a very secure understanding of how to recognise possible signs that a child may be being abused. They know the procedure for recording and reporting child protection concerns. Staff are deployed effectively, both indoors and outside. They keep children under their close supervision, reminding them about how to keep themselves safe. Robust risk assessments are carried out and the premises are safe and secure. The management team has thorough procedures in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with children when they are first employed. Periodic checks are completed to ensure staff remain suitable.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2571710 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10239236 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 36

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Name of registered person

Ditton Lodge Community Nursery Pre-School CIO

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reference number

Telephone number 01638354252 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Ditton Lodge Nursery re-registered in 2019 and is situated in Newmarket, Suffolk. The setting employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including the manager and deputy manager, who both hold level 6. The setting is open Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions run from 8.40am to 3.10pm. The nursery provides early years funded places for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk of the nursery, inside and outside. This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager, and this has been taken into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk of the nursery, inside and outside. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager, and together they evaluated this. n Children spoke to the inspector about what they enjoy doing in the setting. n Parents and staff spoke with the inspector at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector reviewed relevant documentation, including the suitability checks of all adults working in the setting.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

30 June 2022 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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